Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 03-09-11

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From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Ambassador of Italy to Ankara stated that the customs union between Turkey and the occupation regime will create no problems.

[02] Three Greek citizens have been arrested in the occupied areas.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Ambassador of Italy to Ankara stated that the customs union between Turkey and the occupation regime will create no problems

Mr Gul hosted the ambassadors of EU member and candidate countries at a working luncheon today. He briefed the ambassadors on the new mechanism established to monitor the implementation of the reforms in Turkey. Various other issues were also discussed, from Iraq to Azerbaijan, and from Iran to Cyprus.

NTV correspondent has learned that the foreign minister told the EU ambassadors that the customs union framework agreement signed with the occupation regime lacks content, and that it will not be taken to parliament for approval.

The ambassadors raised the question of the DEHAP [Democratic People's Party] officials' trial at the Supreme Court of Appeals, and asked Gul what he thinks. The foreign minister replied: We can all see the votes DEHAP received. They are real votes. They cannot be canceled. Nevertheless, the decision is up to the judiciary. The JDP [Justice and Development Party] is ready for elections.

Replying to NTV correspondent's questions after the meeting, Mr Vittorio Claudio Surdo, the ambassador of Italy which is the EU's term president, stated that the establishment of a new monitoring mechanism for the implementation of the reforms is a very positive step. He pointed out that the Reform Monitoring Group will regularly update the EU Embassies. He also said that the framework agreement between Turkey and the "TRNC" will not create any problems.

Meanwhile, under the banner front page title "Gul: The Annan Plan will be taken as basis", Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (11.09.03) reports that Mr Gul told the ambassadors that the Annan Plan will be taken as basis for the solution of the Cyprus problem. The paper writes that this statement was noteworthy because the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas continues saying that together with Turkey they are preparing an alternative to the Annan Plan.

Responding to a question, Mr Gul argued that the "elections" in the occupied areas will be conducted in a just manner and added that the EU member-countries could send observers if they wished. The Turkish Minister reiterated that the negotiations towards finding a solution to the Cyprus problem will begin after the so-called elections and alleged that Turkey is doing everything it can for the solution of the problem.

[02] Three Greek citizens have been arrested in the occupied areas

The paper notes that the "police" announced that John Cheretis (71), Sofoclis Cheretis (65) and Emmanouel Skandalis (39) were caught red-handed, but gave no details.

AFRIKA writes that this arrest reminds of the espionage conspiracy against the journalists of AVRUPA in 2000, when the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas had said that he saw the evidence for the espionage, but nothing could be proved.

The paper points out that the arrest took place in a period when the Foreign Minister of Greece, Mr George Papandreou, is visiting the island.

/SK

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